Matt Hancock not only a donkey but sexist and deeply unpleasant

[Theduchessstill]

So following on from the thread last week about his ''donkiness/ineptitude' he gives us this appalling response to Dr Rosena Allin-Kahn today:

twitter.com/DrRosena/status/1257644583158251522

What a disgusting way to speak to someone who is actually working as a Dr in A & E during this crisis. Nasty, lacking in empathy, just wrong.Just when you think these people can't sink any lower they do just that.

No need to scroll through - just click straight on.

She did use incredibly emotive language in a highly politicised statement.

I agree. Just looked at her twitter feed - top replies (first thread) include this;

"Dr Rosena's tone is a lot milder than mine would have been, especially when facing this failure of a government with the blood of thousands on its hands."

Immediately below is a grotesque image of Gove, Johnson and Hancock with blood dripping from their hands.

So did she put those up Clavinova?

Actually I do think they have blood on their hands. My reason is I have an elderly relative in a care home, staff were really careful and moved in and stopped all visitors to protect residents. One resident was in hospital for something unconnected to Covid, he contracted Covid in hospital and was discharged after a test but before they got the result saying he had covid so guess what happened? Yes you're right he spread the infection through the home, not his fault but the fault of a policy that allowed that to happen. So yes they have the blood of vulnerable care home residents on their hands.

So did she put those up Clavinova?

No, of course not, but her comments have had the same reaction she complained about in September.

The House of Commons heres a lot worse, it s a circus. The link to the Twitter feed only shows one side. It wasnt necesarily her tone but he use of words that as another poster has said, lacked gravitas. Is you use language from the red top tabloids it makes it harder to take you seriously. I just think he was very annoyed, and I would be too. This was a tacky way to make her point.

He's a pompous prick. He should be ashamed but he lacks the self awareness.

Hears

I don't understand all these "watch your tone" comments everywhere, on Twitter etc. He didn't say that? His exact words were ".......take a leaf out of the shadow secretary of state’s book in terms of tone".

Not "watch your tone".

Is this a witch hunt?

There simply isn't an excuse for Hancock addressing RAK like that. If he disagreed with what she was saying and thought she was being too emotive, that can be said in a way that doesn't make him sound like he thinks he's a schoolteacher and she a naughty Year 8. Very, very bad look for him.

Her tone was wrong she was going for emotive soundbites rather than political questions. She is using the grief of others to champion her profile.
He did not say watch your tone.
But the level or tone she tried to (and is continuing to try and) take the debate down to is showmanship over statesmanship. That's not the right tone for these times and those who can't see that are not interested in anything other than tearing a man and his party apart.

1forsorrow
Yes you're right he spread the infection through the home

If that is true, the care home may be to blame. On the continent, care homes are being investigated for health violations - in Italy, Spain, France, even Germany;

"Italian authorities are looking into a string of health violations at elderly care homes across the country, amid a devastating coronavirus crisis."

"Inspections by the Italian Police health forceNuclei Antisofisticazione e Sanita (NAS)found that 17% of the first 600 elder care homes to be inspected had failed to follow national coronavirus protocols."

edition.cnn.com/2020/04/16/europe/italy-care-homes-coronavirus-violations-intl/index.html

Problems in Scotland as well;

"Care home bosses could face fines or even jail if they don’t comply with new measures to protect staff and residents." ...

"Following allegations that one care home had locked personal protection equipment away from staff who needed it, a union boss called for full enforcement legislation to be used against any care home shown to be negligent."

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/dodgy-scots-care-home-bosses-21830850

in a way that doesn't make him sound like he thinks he's a schoolteacher and she a naughty Year 8. Very, very bad look for him.

But it's ok for her to sound like a schoolteacher with;
"what does it say in your little folder" when talking to a 40 year old junior minister?

Her exact words were:

"......acknowledge that many front line workers feel that the government’s lack of testing has cost lives and is responsible for many families being unnecessarily torn apart in grief".

To me that is highly emotive language ("torn apart in grief" - why not just "cost lives"?) And asking him to "acknowledge" this is clearly point scoring - she isn't asking what the strategy is to prevent this, or what he is doing about it. She just wanted to make an emotive and political point.

that can be said in a way that doesn't make him sound like he thinks he's a schoolteacher and she a naughty Year 8.

You see I just don't see that he did? He was entirely calm and factual.

And BTW it's OK for her to try and point score off him? But he can't pull her up on it?

She looked embarrassed afterwards to me but I don't think that's Hancock's fault.

As you read it stress has and is and you'll see what I mean by very careful stressing. That is how she said it, slow and careful stressing to add impact.

It wasn't neutral, factual etc. She was point scoring. I'd say the same of anyone who spoke like that.

Why have you assumed that clavinova?

And daisy, commenting on someone's tone isn't factual. Its just not. It is him giving an opinion on how he thinks someone else should speak. By definition that isn't factual.

He was entirely calm and factual.

I agree, and he finished with;

"I pay tribute, too, to the work of NHS and social care staff on the frontline; nothing should take away from the team spirit with which we approach this."

Yes, it doesn't matter what his precise words were. In fact his tone was horrible when he first stood up, before the tone comment: "No I don't Mr Speaker," sneery tone right there.

Some of you are working with a different definition of factual to the dictionary here.

It doesn't matter what he actually said??

OK then!

those who can't see that are not interested in anything other than tearing a man and his party apart.

Sorry, but that's s insulting. Dr Kahn and thousands of other people are deeply concerned about the needless deaths that are taking place in this country due to government short comings. It's not about this little man and his shitty party, ffs. If they're being torn apart then that would be as result of their uselessness. Unfortunately many many people in this country are still enjoying a love-in with these posh boys so I'm not holding my breath.

she isn't asking what the strategy is to prevent this, or what he is doing about it

She did ask those things. If any criticism is going to be written off as point scoring then where does that leave democracy? It's a pandemic - there are a lot of deaths. It's inevitable that there's going to be some emotion involved but the opposition still needs to oppose.

But what are they opposing? And why not pay more than lip service to working together to fight this?

Or do you also agree with threatening to withdraw support for an MP because they were delivering food parcels alongside a Tory MP?

Because that all seems to be entirely wrong in times like this and, had I not already done so a few years back, I would have resigned my party membership over it.

And that's as close to politicking as I can get, being politically homeless still.

I feel almost grubby for saying this and I think I may have to go for a lie down after.

What he said was snipey and snide. He was dismissive and rude. But.

He's also carrying the weight of the entire country on his shoulders. I'll allow him an off day. And it pains me to say this, but I almost feel sorry for him. 😳

But what are they opposing?

Are you actually joking? Can you not find anything at all in the way this has been handled so far to object to? It's difficult for Labour atm as they can't be seen to be complaining for the sake of it, but actually, there's no need for that as so much has been fucked up. If anything I've thinking Starmer has erred too much on side of being supportive, hence Hancock's whine that Kahn should be more like the Shadow HS. However, I'm heartened after watching PMQs today - Starmer was brilliant imo and I hope there'll be more in that vein to come, from him and others on the opposition front benches.

Oh please! Read the post as a whole. And what was she opposing? What was she actually asking?

I understand that it is hard remembering what any individual poster has typed but you haven't even remembered the whole of that one post!

@Clavinova that is a cheap shot and you should be ashamed. The home is excellent, I'd already said the staff moved in 2 months ago to protect the residents, all visits stopped, even the GP does his appointments by internet. They managed to keep the infection to a handful of residents and only had one fatality. They are part of a group and other homes in the group sent in PPE when they couldn't get it from the govt or the open market.

Without a doubt sending someone with an active covid virus infection into a home for the vulnerable elderly is at best irresponsible.

I suggest you keep your judgements to things you know something about.